In a rural community governed by social conventions, Jenůfa, a young pregnant woman, faces rejection and the decisions of those who seek to protect her. Her stepmother, Kostelnička, takes her determination to preserve the family’s honour to its extreme. With its intensely dramatic music, Leoš Janáček’s three-act opera explores guilt, social pressure and the possibility of forgiveness.
The Gran Teatre del Liceu presents a new production by Àlex Ollé, which gives these conflicts a contemporary setting. Asmik Grigorian sings the title role, with Nina Stemme as Kostelnička, and Jonathan Nott conducting.
This is... good to know
On 14 May, Jenůfa will be preceded by a 30-minute mindfulness session. The performance on 22 May will include live audio description. The production will also be available to watch online on Liceu OPERA+ from 6 June.
Àlex Ollé sets Jenůfa in the present day, exploring an uncomfortable question: how far will someone go to protect their family’s reputation? The production examines a form of moral fanaticism that remains all too relevant today.
